Take
by Kissing Walls
Summary: It's been two years since she met the Goblin King but Sarah still can't erase him from her mind. Fed up with her stories, her boyfriend wishes her away and now has to defeat the Labyrinth to save her. But does Sarah want him to? JxS
1. Chapter 1

Sarah was proud of herself.

How could she not be? After her trip through the Labyrinth, she had really cleaned herself up. No more arguing with parents. No more yelling at Toby. No more time spent pushing reality aside for outlandish fantasies. Thanks to the Labyrinth, she had grown into a strong, wise young woman.

Now, at the ripe age of seventeen, she had already been accepted into the university of her choice and to celebrate, she was having dinner at her boyfriend Terry's house. Terry was amazing. He was athletic and handsome, hardworking and honest. His only real fault was his temper, but he was always quick to apologize. They'd only been dating for seven months but already he had a place in her heart that only one other man had managed to secure. And that other man, well...

She hadn't seen him for nearly two years now.

Sarah shook the image of a mismatched gaze from her mind, smiling warmly at Terry as he pulled out her chair. Two years. Had it really already been two years? That was ridiculous. Two years, and she still couldn't forget those eyes. Two years, and she still couldn't resist contacting her Labyrinth friends. Two years, and she still lo -

"Sarah, babe? Are you okay?"

Sarah blinked at her plate, realizing Terry had already piled it high with food. The steam from the chicken brushed her cheeks, increasing the heat of her blush.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sarah replied. Terry took another bite of his chicken and accepted the answer without explanation, used to his girlfriend's frequent space-outs.

Sarah had told him about her meeting with the Goblin King. He was the only one who knew the reality of the tale, but everyone close to her had heard about the Labyrinth in some form. To her friends, it was an elaborate dream. To her parents, it was an idea for a future novel. To Toby, it was a well-loved bedtime story.

To Terry, it was another reason to suspect his girlfriend was batshit insane.

"What's for dessert?" Sarah asked him, trying to make conversation.

Terry grinned and stood up from his chair, running towards the kitchen and returning with a silver dish, the distinct scent of peaches following him.

"Peach cobbler!" he said, blue eyes dancing. Sarah laughed at his excitement and cut herself a slice, picking up her fork. There was no denying that Terry was a splendid cook.

"God, peaches," she said with a nostalgic smile. "You know, the best peach I ever had was in -"

"The Labyrinth, I know," Terry cut her off, grin dropping from his face. A deep scowl replaced it.

Sarah glanced at him, concerned. "Terry, is something wrong?" she questioned.

Terry sighed, running a hand through his brunet hair. "Sarah, I love you, but..."

"...No girl wants to hear 'I love you, but' Terry..."

"...Sarah, you need to get your head out of the clouds."

Offended, Sarah frowned. "What do you mean by that?" she asked, hands curling under the tablecloth.

"God, Sarah," Terry said, giving into the irritation that had been building within him for the seven months they'd been dating. "You're seventeen! You shouldn't be living in these childish fantasies!"

"What _childish fantasies_?"

Terry rose from his chair, anger clouding his features. "Goblins, Sarah!" he yelled. "Goblins and magic peaches and baby-snatching kings! What the _fuck _is not childish about that? About _any _of that?"

"I thought you believed me!" Sarah cried, knocking her own chair over. "I thought you understood!"

Terry laughed. It was an ugly sound, so full of rage that Sarah flinched. "_Believed _you? _Understood _you? You're lucky I haven't sent you to a crazy house yet!"

Sarah gasped, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. She couldn't find the strength to speak, her throat closed with anger and deep, deep misery. She thought...she thought that he...but she had _loved _him...

"It's so fucking _weird_! I don't know what sort of _bizarre _fetish you have, but this is _ridiculous_!" Terry walked briskly around the table, grabbing her arm and shaking her roughly.

"And that Goblin King, Jared or whatever," he said, voice low and venomous as he brought his face closer to hers, his breath spilling across her nose. "I bet you would have _loved _to shag him, huh?"

Sarah shook her head, furious. "Don't talk about Jareth like that, you asshole!" she sobbed, angry tears beginning to dribble down her cheeks. "Don't you _ever _talk about him like that!"

Terry shoved her against the table. The edge dug into the small of her back, eliciting a painful cry from the shaken teen.

"I knew it," he spat. "Well why don't I do you a favor, huh? Why don't I wish _you _away?"

"Terry, please, just _stop_," Sarah begged.

"What were the words? _I wish the goblins would take you far away!_ No, that's not it..."

"_Please_, Terry!"

"_I wish the goblins would come take care of you right now!_ No, not quite..."

"_Terry!_" Sarah lunged at him, desperately tugging on his arm.

"Oh! I got it!" Terry smirked maliciously. "I wish the goblins would come take you away..."

"_No no no no no!_"

"..._**right now**_."

What happened next was complete chaos. The back door in the dining room flew open, all the lights in the house shattering as thunder deafened the young couple. A familiar white bird flew into the room, flapping its wings in Terry's face and causing him to stumble back, his expression full of confusion and fright. Sarah watched as he fell, watched small goblins climb on top of him, watched everything fall out of control until she felt a pair of cold, leather-clad arms wrap around her middle.

And then all she could see were two mismatched eyes, widened in shock and as breathtakingly gorgeous as they were two years ago.

"Sarah?"

And then there was nothing.

* * *

**A/N: **Well~

Not a lot of info about Terry in the first chapter, but you'll get to know him a little better later on. He's not just a one-dimensional villain, I promise.

Push that shiny review button and feel free to comment on or correct anything. Or tell me about your day. Or babble incoherently.

I'm so alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Her feelings for Jareth had been a surprise, to say the least.

During her stay in the Labyrinth, she had been far too preoccupied with saving Toby to contemplate the fair-haired Goblin King. To her, he had appeared as a one-dimensional character, a faceless actor meant to fulfill the role of villain. He, himself, had stated that he was meant to be merely evil and nothing else, an adversary for her to defeat.

_"Everything that you wanted I have done. You asked that the child be taken - I took him. You cowered before me - I _was _frightening. I have reordered time, I have turned the world upside-down, and I have done it all for you!"_

It was there, in his last words, that his cruel facade had slipped, his last words and only once before, at the ball. Searching for him, stealing glances at him, making her way towards him...it had all felt so dangerous, so _frightening_, but so exhilarating, all at once. But the moment their eyes locked, the very instant his fingers intertwined with hers, she had known, for the duration of a single dance, that he was not someone to be feared. Maybe it was his attentive gaze, maybe it was his gentle touch, but likely it didn't matter. Whatever it was, it had disappeared when she had shattered the bubble, and his last words were brushed off as simple trickery, a final challenge.

The truth hadn't hit her until after her Labyrinth friends had left. Only then, alone in her bed, had the sincerity of his offer dawned on her.

And in her mind, he transformed from a cruel manipulator to a momentary savior, a halcyon memory of sorts. And like all precious childhood memories she kept close to her heart, she forgave the darker bits in favor of savoring the sweeter moments.

By the time two years had passed, all she recalled of Jareth was the comforting warmth of his body during their dance and his last desperate offer.

Now, however - _now_, with her back against the Goblin King's chest, his arm still secure around her - it all came back to her. Every ounce of fear and rage rushed to the front of her mind, only strengthened by two years of suppression. For a moment shock numbed the surge of emotion, and Sarah tilted her head back to stare dumbly at the ethereal man, her astonished expression almost perfectly mirrored on his own sharp features. And then...

She punched him square in the jaw.

"Hello to you too, Sarah," he greeted, tone caught between irritation and amusement as he rubbed the forming bruise gingerly. It was gone in an instant. "How wonderful it is to see you again."

"You _bastard_!" Sarah spat, fists curling and uncurling with rising rage as she fought the urge to hit him again. She hardly spared a glance to her new surroundings; a throne room of sorts. "What the _hell _did you do with my boyfriend?"

"Yes, your...boyfriend," Jareth spat the title as if it were acid. "Lovely boy, really, to wish you away to _goblins_."

That stung, and Jareth smirked with malicious pleasure as Sarah deflated. "He didn't...he didn't understand what he was doing..."

Jareth lifted an inquisitive eyebrow. "He didn't heed your warnings? Didn't believe your secrets?" he asked.

Sarah refused to meet his gaze. She was falling too easily back into his familiar mind games. She had defeated him, yes, but he had always held the upper hand in their verbal battles. Each one was like a dance she didn't know the steps to, and she had to depend on Jareth to smugly lead her as she stumbled along behind him.

_Dance...damn! _Sarah thought as the memory clouded her mind. A flash of blue fabric, a snatch of serenade, and Sarah quickly tried to distract herself from the feelings threatening to choke her. Unfortunately, the brief recollection had extinguished all the lovely anger she had been venting, and that only left...

...fear.

"Are you...are you going to turn me into a goblin?" Sarah managed to ask, feeling shaken.

Jareth cocked his head, bemused.

"If Terry doesn't run the Labyrinth," she elaborated, biting her lip as she glanced at him from beneath her lashes. "Will I be...are you going to turn me into a goblin?"

"You don't seem to hold much faith in this _boyfriend _of yours," Jareth commented. Sarah glared but couldn't deny it. "But as for the question of whether or not I transform you..."

Jareth seemed to think for a long while, conjuring a crystal and juggling it easily, much as he had done so long ago in her parents' room. Even as he "hmm"-ed and "huh"-ed, Sarah knew his mind was already made up. He was simply dragging out the suspense to torment her.

She took a moment to inspect the room, staring at the bright eyes that hid just beyond the shadows, the small goblins watching their King and former runner with interest. In thirteen hours, would she also be stalking her new King from the dark corners of his castle?

Finally, Jareth gave her a toothy grin.

"That would be an awful waste, wouldn't it?"

Sarah blushed, her cheeks darkening even more at the light chuckle that followed her reaction. Nonetheless relief gripped her and with her anxiety temporarily vanquished, the events of the day hit her hard. Her fight with Terry, her return to the Labyrinth, her reunion with Jareth...she couldn't hold back the yawn that escaped her.

Jareth moved to stand beside her, placing a gloved hand on the small of her back. "Come, Sarah," he said. "I'll show you to a bed. You can rest while I give instructions to Barry."

His voice was soft, laced with the sort of delicacy one would use to coax a small child into sleeping, not a nearly grown woman. With a tired nod, Sarah let him transport her into a simple white room, containing nothing but a large bed with pearly satin sheets. Sarah crawled under the blankets, sighing contentedly as her head hit the softest pillow she'd ever felt in her seventeen years of living.

She had to admit, Jareth was a lot more agreeable when he wasn't holding her baby brother captive.

"Terry will beat the Labyrinth, you know," she declared boldly, her voice faint as sleep began to creep over her. Her eyelids slid close.

The sound of a soft chuckle and the feeling of deft fingers tucking her in.

"We'll see, Precious," Jareth's voice followed her into her dreams. "We'll see..."

Only later would it occur to Sarah that the bruise Terry had caused to form on the small of her back had disappeared the moment Jareth had brushed his palm against it.

* * *

**A/N: **Hope the explanation at the beginning brought Sarah out of the dreaded realm of the OOC, at least a bit.

I know it may seem long and a tad dry - usually the sort of thing I would, admittedly, skip - but such monologues are necessary when you're twisting someone else's fictional universe to fit your own fantasies.

Next is Jareth's POV. Look forward to it. Or at the very least don't dread it - there's no reason for that, silly pumpkins.

Oh, and one last thing:

_The seduction of the review button controls you...you cannot deny it...you **must **review...ohm~_


	3. Chapter 3

His feelings for Sarah had been a surprise, to say the least.

Jareth brushed his fingers across her forehead, peering at her peaceful expression. She hadn't been the first mortal to defeat his Labyrinth, nor the last, but she had certainly been the most memorable. The only one to catch his interest.

When she had first come to his land, Sarah had appeared as any normal girl would: weak, whiny, and utterly pathetic. Truly, he hadn't anticipated on her making it past the obuliette. But she had made it much, much farther than that. Much farther into the Labyrinth, and much further into his heart.

Her strength had been dulled by her world, but by the time she had left him, it was shining bright once more.

_Now, however_...he mused, clicking his tongue as he surveyed her tear-soaked cheeks. _It seems something has beaten her down once again._

And he had a strong feeling that this "something" was waiting for him at the entrance to his city.

"No need to worry, Precious," he murmerred. He straightened himself up and conjured a crystal to rest in his palm, smiling wickedly.

"In thirteen hours, you'll be mine."

With a flash he was gone, leaving the object of his obsession to her dreams.

* * *

"You _freak_! Where the _hell _have you taken me?"

Jareth huffed, indignant. He was used to much younger runners. He preferred naive lads and ladies that hadn't yet learned such distasteful language. Maybe this..._scum _was to blame for Sarah's coarse wording earlier.

"This is kidnapping, you sick bastard! Imprisonment! I can have you arrested for this! I _will _have you arrested for this! I know a lawyer that - "

"Gary - " he interrupted, already exasperrated.

"It's Terry, dammit!"

" - Yes, Harry, as you _may _have noticed, I have taken Sarah."

Larry - Carrie? - sneered at the Goblin King, steaming in rage. "Of course I noticed!" he protested, only further convincing Jareth otherwise. "Give her back and _take us home_!"

"Oh, at once!" Jareth answered with mock enthusiasm. "There's just one tiny thing you have to do first."

"What?"

Jareth smirked and pointed across the vast barren desert, drawing the boy's attention to the Labyrinth that rested beyond. His smug grin widened when he saw Perry's face turn a most delightful shade of pale. "You just have to reach my castle," he said, stating it as if it were as simple as crossing the street. "Then you can be on your way."

Suspision flared in the young boys eyes. "With Sarah?"

Jareth let out a disappointed sigh. He was hoping he could pull one over on the barbaric dimwit.

"Yes, with Sarah," he said, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms in a dignified sulk.

The human thought it over for a moment before shaking his head with a burst of laughter. "No," he said, chuckling. Jareth arched a slender eyebrow. "No, you're not real. This isn't real. This was all just some made up story, some silly delusion of Sarah's," he insisted stubbornly. He stepped closer to the taller man, pulling hard on a string of blonde hair. "Kenny, is that you? Did Sarah put you up to this? Dude, you look so _gay _right now!"

Jareth slapped Sherry's hand away, keeping his icy composure. "You can believe what you want," he growled. His patience had always been somewhat thin. Now it was wearing to threads. "But trying to persuade me into nonexistence won't convince me to give you Sarah back."

"Whatever," Ferry replied, sitting himself down in the sand with an air of defiance. "You're not real and I'm not moving."

"Have it your way then," Jareth answered with a nonchalant tone as he started to fade. "You have thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth before Sarah becomes one of us...forever."

As he disappeared from the desert, he thought about adding his usual last line - _"What a pity..." _- but decided that this time, it wasn't much of a pity at all.

* * *

**A/N: **This chapter was hard to write, and I honestly have no idea why.

Maybe I'm just bad at writing Jareth. I haven't quite got my interpretation of him down yet...he can be flirty, cruel, protective, posessive, wise, spoiled...ahhh...

Stupid, complex, sexy bastard. :P

But more of a hinderance than that was my internet connection. That's why review replies were so late as well, sweartogod. :P  
Now that it's finally fixed I figured I better get this chapter out quick, since there's going to be a Merlin marathon tomorrow. I have a demented single-mindedness when it comes to my fandoms, so I'll probably be lost in the wonderful world of Camelot for a few days or so. And then there's still quite a few episodes of Life On Mars I need to watch, not to mention the bazillion or so ideas I have floating around for an Eleven/Amy fic now that the new Doctor Who season has blown my mind.

Soooo much British television.

But don't worry; **I _will _finish this, and the next update will be _much _quicker. **And hopefully longer. I think this a/n is nearly half the length of the actual chapter.

Sweet Christ, I'm a _windbag_.

Anyway, I have something very important to tell you. You see that button, just below this writing here? Yes? That button owns your soul. Click to reclaim.


End file.
